Sports can rightly be called the building blocks for a well built, fit and healthy physique. It is well known that healthy mind lives in a healthy body. The sports captain, Fateh Singh, Class IX, conducted a special assembly with an unparalled energy on the occasion of Major Dhyan Chand’s 103rd Birth Anniversary. The assembly was mainly centered around the sport of hockey, which is India’s national game.
Professor Paramjit Singh Randhawa, M.A., M.Phil., of DAV College for the last 18 years was the Chief Guest.
Prof. Randhawa is a versatile writer, having contributed more than 3000 articles on sports for various newspapers, which has got him wide acclaim in the sporting circles. Further, he has conducted more than 100 Radio talk shows as well. He is in particular passionate about hockey; has been promoting it tirelessly with innovative modules. According to him, hockey lags behind cricket and other sports in popularity scale.
“Indian cricketers rapidly assert themselves on the world stage, but at the same time hockey’s fortune started plummeting”, he said.
According to the learned, commercialization played havoc with the future of our national sport. “Hockey is perhaps facing a slow death phase due to various reasons. Red tapism and lack of guidance are eating up the roots of the sport”, he asserted.
Fifty years ago, Indian hockey was a legend which none could replicate but sadly that artistry is on the wane. “Hockey is our national game but we, the Indians, talk and watch only cricket. Hockey remains a back-bencher in our scheme of things. It is the most ignored sport one can ever think of” the professor rued. He at the same time urged the students to change their mindset so that the precious game will come up again.
Today, being the birthday of magic man of hockey or hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand, Prof. Randhawa exhorted students to protect the dying spirit of Hockey. He referred to the movie ‘Chak De India’ in which he dwelt on the laurels that the movie brings and makes his countrymen proud. He seemed too concerned on the declining status of our national sport. The hockey players are also non-existent. Professor Randhawa made a passionate appeal to DPS students: “ Give a serious thought to the need of the hour. Opt for hockey and help keep the hockey flame alive”
He quoted case histories of countries like China and Germany who are evenly balanced in all sports. “But in India, we give step motherly treatment to our own national sport”.
Prof. Randhawa gave some insight into the life and times of Major Dhyan Chand, former Indian hockey player, a member of thrice Olympic gold winning Indian hockey teams of the pre-independent era. The legendary player was awarded with India’s third highest civilian honour, Padma Bhushan, in 1956. Dhyan Chand’s genius transcended national boundaries and he mesmerized the world audience with his audacious jugglery and leadership qualities. However, all through his life he struggled worse than a common man, unable to meet the creature comforts.
The assembly was marked by the features like –
1. Scripture reading
2. Thought of the day
3. Speeches on varied topics
4. News – National, International and Olympics
5. Orchestra
6. Speech by the Chief Guest
7. A vote of thanks by the Principal
The highlight of the day was that the school launched the sport of Hockey. Many students opted for it, making it a successful venture for the school. The students realized that Hockey should be recognized and embraced once again.
8 Comments
I appreciate the school for forming a hockey team on dhyan chand’s birth anniversary. hockey is in the schools, colleges. here you get gifted players at right age. I wish more schools start hockey in Amritsar and elsewhere
i forgot to write. the school should do something more to keep the interest in these youngsters going for long time
I think DPS has lot of branches. each school should have a hockey team. There may even be inter DPS Schools hockey competition. how nice it would be. I wish the principal to do more in other brances too
I am a great fan of shahrukh khan after seen the picture chakda india. i love hockey.i become a hockey fan afterseen this picture.i have decided that as the amritsar schoolare introduce hockey. i will also prmote hockey in the best possibily way.in few days i will have chakda hockey logo on my bike. so,that my friends are follow me and the virus of hockey fever will spread every where. i will say hockey ko chak da or bat-bowl ko rakh da.kitha hai film chakda hockey ko uska hak da. sunta ho,sunta hai mera india??????
From Amritsar schools the whole India should learn a lesson to promote hockey .In all the big cities like Hydrabad,Delhi,Chennai,Mumbai,We should promote hockey becoz its our national game. It is our national game becoz it is great achievement of past. We should not forget that history repeats itself and I do think that Indian hockey will repeat its golden history.Oh!Parvinder,Oh!yogta,Oh!Rahul,Rekha,Tanuj come forward to play hockey.Plz come forward to love Hockey .
I am Barinder Singh From Tarn Tarn IN DAV College,Amritsar
Amritsar is called ‘Guru Nagari’the city of Golden temple and Durghiana mandir will soon be called ‘HOCKEY CRAZY CITY’ like chandigarh because in the Amritsar citynow schools are taking trust in Hockey where ever Hockey nursery will be produced.Hockey will shine.I very humbly request my friends,school going and college going have the ring tones of CHAK-DE-INDIA or HOCKEY DUNGHE RAKH KE’ so ever whoever calls you will keep in mind the Shahrukh’s movie “CHAK-DE-INDIA” which has done wonderfull job to promote HOCKEY. AMRITSARIO Love the National Game Hockey which had given glory to India and cpy to all friends.
by the sencere efforts of principal mrs.sangeta singh the school will soon have a very good team i do hope.